matthews



1950 1'. J. MATTHEWS 2,517,905

BLOCK REMOVER AND CONVEYER FOR CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINES 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1N8

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3 means of a link 49 to the carriage 38 and the lever 41 is connected by means of a pitman or link 50 to the crank 5| of the crankshaft 28.

As will be noted in the drawings, the upper edges of the carriage side members 39 are disposed slightly below the upper edges of the conveyor chains 15 and l6., This arrangement of the carriage with respect to the conveyor chains is provided so that a number of blocks 44 may be disposed on the chains l5 and IS with the carriage 38 movable therebeneath and out of contact with the pallets 43 on which the blocks are positioned. I

In order to provide a means whereby the concrete blocks with their pallets maybe discharged onto the conveyor chains, I have provided an elongated lifting member 52 which is pivotally 4 ejector member H move upwardly to eject the block 44, and the pallet 43, switch 68 will be momentarily closed, thereby energizing magnetic switch 63 to close the electric circuit to the motor 35. Inasmuch as switch is at this time in closed position magnetic switch 63 will remain in closed position so that motor 35 will operate through one complete cycle. Carriage 38 will move forwardly to block receiving position, en-

gaging beneath the pallet 43 and when ejector rods 46 are lowered the block 44 with the pallet 43 will rest on the arms 42 of the carriage.

Carriage 38 will move rearwardly and at the same time the conveyor chains l5 and [6 will move rearwardly at a relatively slow rate sufll- .cient to move the foremost previously delivered mounted as at 53 between the side members 39'- of the carriage 38. This lifting member 52 is constructed in the form of an elongated fiat mem-- her which projects forwardly between the arms 42; The lifting member 52is adapted to be raised upwardly to position theblock mounted thereon above the conveyor chains by means of a cam 54 whichis mounted on a'cam shaft 55. A depending cam engaging roller 56 carried by a support -5'If securecl to the lower side of the lifting mem- '-ber 52 is adapted upon rearward movement of the carriage to engage a rockable plate 58 which engages'the cam 54; The plate 58 is pivoted at 'its 'forward end as at 59between the bearings or supports for the forward shaft 23 and when the f high partof the'cam'54-raises plate 58, roller 56 will ride on the plate- 58 so that lifting member 52 will be raised a short distance above the chains "i5 and i6. Cam shaft 54 is rotated by means of a'chain B0 engaging about a sprocket 6| secured to shaft 55 and also engaging about a sprocket 62 secured to crankshaft 28.

" f-In order to provide for automatic operation of the carriage and conveyor structure, I have provided a magnetic switch 63 which is connected atone side 64 thereof to a source of electric cur- V rent supply. The magnetic switch 63 is normally biased to an open position and the other side of "the-switch 63 is connected by means of a cond ctor65 to a conductor 66. The conductor 65 is connected to a stationary contact 61 of an -ej'ector operated switch 68.

I The movable arm 69 of the switch 68 is spring- -pressed to an open position and is disposed in thfe'path of a switch operator 10 which is secured {to the lower ejector plate 1 I. The movable switch :arm'69 is connected by a conductor 12 to a sec 0nd supply conductor 13 which is connected to the motor 35. The opposite side of the motor isfconnected by a conductor 14 to a cam operated switch 15 having a spring-pressed switch arm I6 normally urged to circuit'closing position.

*The stationary contact H of switch 15 is connected by a conductor 18 to the stationary contact I9 of magnetic switch 63. Switch arm 15 is-disposed in the path of a circuit breaking arm "80 which is fixed to "cam shaft 55 in a position whereby switch'15 will be moved to a circuit breaking position at the time carriage 38 moves "to its rearmost position. The circuit breaking 1arm'80 being mounted on cam shaft 55 will ro- 'tate a slight distance beyond switch arm 16 beblock rearwardly a distance to permit the block now on the carriage to be delivered to the conveyor chainsat the forward end of the latter. As th carriag'fi8 movs rearwardly' cam shaft 55 will rotate cam 54 to raise plate58 so that roller 56 carried bythe' lifting m'er nber 52 will ride upwardly and thereby raise the block above the conveyor chains l5- an'd l6. ""The timing 0f the circuit to the'magnetic switch 63 and stopp n motor 35'; Arm 8ll will override switch'arm 16 a slight distance as shown :inFigurefl, due to the momentum of the" operating' parts so: that switch 15 after being moved toycircuit breaking position will return to its normally closed position in order that magnetic switch'63 may be closed when a new block has beenformed and is being ejected from the molding machineby the ejector plate "H. After a-numb'er'of blocks have been depositedon the conveyor- -chains l5, 16, these blocks maybe liftedtherefrom by a suitable lifting means for placing the'blocks-in a curing or setting position;

I (10- not mean to? confine myself tothe exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations fallingwi-thin the purviewof the appended claimsfi l I v a a.

WhatI claim isz r 1. .A means for removing concrete blocks from a block forming means having a block'ejector comprising a stationary frame; abonveyo'rcarried by' sai'd -frame, a reciprocalcarriage carried by said frameincluding a pair of arms engageable beneath the pallet when'th'e latter is raised by 'said ejector and normally disposed below the toprun ofsaid' conveyor, means' for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with respect to said ejector, and means on said frame engageabie with said carriage during a portion ofthe reciprocationthereof for raisingsaid arms to the level of said top run for depositing the'pallet on said runandthenreleasingthepallet. -i' I 2. A means for removing concrete blocks from abl'ock forming meanshaving a block ejector comprising a stationary frame," apair of conveyor chains movably'carrie'd by said frame having one run thereof movable horizontally over the top of said frame, a carriage slidably carried by said frame and disposed between said chains,

the upper edge 'of saidcarriage being disposed below the tops of saidchai'n'si' means for reciprocating said carriage;a blocklifting plate pivotally carried by'saidframe,'roller'means on said carriage engageable with said plate when the latter is raised, and means for raising said plate on the inward movement of said carriage and subse-- quently lowering said plate to thereby deposit a block onto said chains, and means for operating said conveyor chains.

3. A means for removing concrete blocks from a block forming means having a block ejector, comprising a stationary frame, an endless conveyor carried by said frame having a horizontal upper run, a reciprocal carriage slidably carried by said carriage, means for reciprocating said carriage, means for moving said conveyor, a pair of forwardly projecting block carrying arms carried by said carriage and adapted upon forward movement of said carriage to engage beneath the block when the latter is in ejected position with respect to the mold of said forming means, said arms being normally disposed below said upper run, and means operative upon rearward movement of said carriage for disposing said block on said conveyor, said latter means including a plate pivotally mounted on said frame, a rotatable cam member on said frame engaging under said plate for raising the latter, roller means on said carriage engageable with said plate in theraised position thereof, and driving means operatively connected-to said cam member and said carriage adapted to dispose said cam member'in plate raisingposition when saidcarriage approaches the end of its rearward movement.

THOMAS J. MATTHEWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this 'patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,792,843! Knecht Feb, 17', 1931 2,341,012 Billman et al. Feb. 8, 1944 

